Hook guard



Dec. 1, 1 953 D. G. ANDERSON 2,660,871

HOOK GUARD Filed Aug. 18, 1951 3nventor David 6? fifidersorr Gttomeg Patented Dec. l, 1953 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE;

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for use in the protection of fabric articles, such for example as curtains, and draperies, during cleaning or dyeing operations or other like treatment. More particularly the invention is'directed to the provision of a guard that receives, encloses and secures the free ends of the hooks conventionally used in suspending such articles in position of use.

Many fabric articles such as draperies are suspended by means of various types of hooks which are engaged with suitably mounted rods or brackets. These hooks are intended to be perma nently joined to the article by stitching and include a base or leg portion for this purpose as well as a curved hook portion that is freely engageable with any of the many types of mounting brackets or rods. All such fabric articles at one time or another must undergo a cleaning or dyeing operation or some other like treatment that involves placing the article in a suitable container and either agitating the article within the container or rotating the container to tumble the article.

It has been a problem With cleaners to protect such articles from being torn or otherwise damaged by the mounting hooks during such operations. In some instances the hooks have been removed and after the operation was completed were restitched in place. hand operation is expensive and followed only as a last resort. It is of course preferable to provide some means of covering the hook portion preparatory to the cleaning or dyeing operation but such covering must be capable of withstanding the movement of the fabric article during an operation as well as any detergent or dye used in the operation. It is well to point out also that little advantage is to be gained over the previously mentioned removal of the hooks if the hook protectors or guards require a considerable amount of time and effort to mount or remove.

The present invention provides a guard adapted to enclose and secure all of the hooks normally required for the suspension for any given drapery, curtain or the like. The exterior of this guard is so designed as to render it incapable of damaging fabric articles during whatever process or treatment that they may be undergoing. It is also so designed as to receive and completely enclose the free portions of the hooks thus rendering them incapable of coming in contact with the fabric article during a processing operation. Additionally, the device is so designed as to enable the convenient gathering of the hooks, se-

This stitching being a curing them against displacement and yet enabling quick and easy removal upon completion of a given operation. These advantages as well as others will be more fully understood from a consideration of the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a'iragmentary perspective view of a drapery suspended by hooks of a type that may be enclosed by a guard embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the guard in open hook receiving position, parts being broken away and in section to disclose certain of the structural details;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, showingthe guard closed to engage and secure the drapery hooks against displacement;

Figure 4 is a view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 2; V

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view through the guard showing the parts in the same relative position as that shown in Figure 3; and

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of the guard.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the reference numeral I0 is employed to designate a fabric article or drapery of the type with which the present invention is associated. The drapery is provided with stitched-on hooks I l, these hooks being located at intervals much as suggested in the drawing. The free ends l2 of the hooks are engaged with a rod l 3 which, although not shown, is intended to be suspended by the usual brackets. As has already been mentioned, it is the purpose of the invention to provide a device for enclosing the portions !2 of the hooks to prevent their coming in contact with any portion of the fabric article during a cleaning or dyeing operation or other treatment of similar nature. For this purpose a guard I4 is provided.

The guard comprises two relatively movable parts, namely a body It and a cap H. The body I6 is conical and terminates at its upper end in a closing plate l8 through which a number of apertures I 9 are made, these apertures being uniformly spaced from each other and in a circle of a predetermined radius about the center of the plate. The lower end of the body l6 may, for purposes of reinforcement, be formed with a slightly flared rim 2| which continues into an inclined base 22 that is apertured as at 23. This aperture is formed with a lateral slot 24 for a purpose hereinafter set out. Centrally of the body l6 and extending from the plate [8 to the base 22 is a sleeve 26. The lower end of this sleeve registers with the opening 23. As may be seen in 6 s} Figures 2 and 3, the sleeve is formed with a lengthwise slot 21 which at its upper end terminates in a lateral extension 28, this extension providing a shoulder 29. Projecting through the sleeve 26 and through a centered aperture 3! in plate 3 is a shaft 32. The lower end of this shaft is formed with a head 33 from one side of which extends a pin 34. An expansion spring 36 encircles the shaft 32. One end of said spring abuts the plate 18 whereas the other end abuts the annular shoulder formed by the head 33.

The upper end of the shaft 32 projects through plate is and is provided with a threaded tip 31-. The cover or cap I! is annularly curved and is reinforced centrally as at 38. A threaded opening in this reinforcement is adapted to receive the tip 31. The rim of the cap may be formed with a slightly bent annular flange 39 which, when the cap is in place on the body l6, overlaps the plate IS in substantially the manner shown in the drawing.

For a clearer understanding of the invention a brief description of its use and operation is set out as follows. It may be assumed that a drapery of the type shown in Figure 1 of the drawing is to be cleaned or dyed. To set the guard for receiving the hook portions l2 of the drapery, the cap I! is drawn away from the base 16. This movement causes pin 34 to ride upwardly of the slot 21 of sleeve 26. When the pin reaches the upper end of this slot the cap is turned in a direction to bring the pin onto the shoulder 29. Of course during this movement of the cap, the spring 36 has been compressed. Th body and cap now occupy the position suggested in Figure 2 of the drawing. Commencing with one end of the drapery the portion 12 of the first hook is projected into one of the apertures l9. Continuing with the next adjacent hooks the portions l2 thereof are successively projected through apertures 19 until all of the hook portions are engaged with the guard. The cap (I is now slightly rotated to move the pin 34 from off the shoulder 29 thus permitting the expanding action of spring 36 to draw the cap toward the body and cause the flange 39 thereof to have pressure engagement with the top rounded portion of each of the hooks II. The spring 36, being of sufficient tension, will prevent the cap becoming sufficiently displaced from the body It to permit dislodging any of the hooks I2. After the hooks have been secured within the guard, the drapery may be cleaned, dyed or given any other usual treatment without danger of tearing or other damage. When the operation on the drapery has been completed, it is merely necessary to withdraw the cap ll, turning it to bring t .e pin as on the shoulder 29 and of course with the parts in this position the hooks l I may be readily disengaged.

It is evident from the foregoing that the free and possibly pointed hook ends 12 of a drapery or curtain may be fully enclosed within the guard and that the device fully eliminates possibility of damage during a cleaning operation. It should also be apparent that the guard, being sufiiciently small and light weight, constitutes no problem during a cleaning operation. It will be understood of course that the guard is formed from such material as to be unaffected by any detergent or other solution in which the drapery may be placed during a cleaning or dyeing operation.

Although applicant has shown and described only one form of this invention, it will be apparent that modifications of the structure for the purpose of adapting it to use as a guard or protector for hooks of different sizes or styles may be made and are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention in so far as such modifications are encompassed in the annexed claims.

Having thus set forth my invention, what I claim as new and for which I desire protection by Letters Patent is:

1. A guard for enclosing the free ends of a plurality of hooks attached to a fabric article comprising a conical hollow body, the large end of said body providing an annular seat, a plate closing the large end of said body, said plate being mounted on said seat and permanently secured to said body, said plate having a series of apertures arranged about a common radius with respect to the plates center for receiving the free ends of said hooks, a cap providing overlapping enclosure for the large end of said body and for portions of hooks located above said plate, an axially movable shaft mounted in and extending substantially the length of said body, one end of said shaft being joined to and serving to support said cap, and means yieldingly urging said shaft into a position to effect overlapping abutment of said cap with said body end.

2. A guard for enclosing the free ends of a plurality of hooks attached to a fabric article comprising a conical hollow body, the large end of said body providing an annular seat, a plate closing the large end of said body, said plate being mounted on said seat and permanently secured to said body, said plate having a series of apertures arranged about a common radius with respect to the plates center for receiving the free ends of said hooks, a cap providing overlapping enclosure for the large end of said body and for portions of hooks located above said plate, a shaft, means mounting said shaft for axial movement within and in the direction of the length of said body, one end of said shaft mounting said cap, spring means normally urging said shaft into a position to overlappingly engage said cap with said large end, and other means operable to secure said shaft, against tension of said spring means, in a position with said cap withdrawn from said large end and exposing said apertures DAVID G. ANDERSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 169,029 Nauen Oct. 19, 18.75 1,539,915 Shebat June 2, 1925 1,896,463 Offerman Feb. 7, 1933 25131321 Murph Dec. 2, 1947 2,501,425 Valentine Mar. 21, 1950 2,525,057 Anderson Oct. 10, 1950 

